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Friday, February 10, 2012

FX-2, India to share MMRCA evaluation experience with Brazil

C. Amorim (left) and AK Antony (right)

A week after India decision to select the Rafale, the Brazilian Defense Minister, Celso Amorim, has met his Indian counterpart, AK Antony, in order to get insights on the MMRCA selection procedure. Indeed Brazil has its own contest (FX-2 for 36 jets) going on, and is expected to select a fighter this year. The three contenders are the F/A-18E, the Gripen and of course the Rafale which would be the front runner as per the last declarations of the Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff when she came in France last year.

"Brazil is in the process
of buying a fighter jet. You have already reached the final stages of
the fighter selection for the air force. They have promised to give us
some documents on the selection process, such as basic rules on the
tender process that we could compare to ours," Amorin said to the Times of India

Nervertheless he also added :"Sharing of experience doesn't mean we follow your decision,"

In the meantime, the folha de Saô Polo was reporting yesterday, February 9, that the decision to select the Rafale would have already been done by the Brazilian government, with a possible contract signature after the French elections in May. According to the Newspaper, the Rafale's fair and square victory in India would have been a clear signal for the Brazilian government to opt for the French Fighter.

So it seems that, besides the Indian deal which will required several months to be signed, at least one more export coul be finalized quite rapidly this year. But as usual, we should be very carefull not to consider a deal done until it has actually been signed.